68 
NATLlUt mSTOBY OP 
A mong the true GallmaceouB birds, find the 
diflfiTcnt iDcrnhprs livinj* veiy muth upnii ifiP t^*otin(l| 
line ])iHVt'r of till; I It liuiitfd, from the groat w*'(ght 
of llii'ir bodies or iiiiwi*'!iiinc*.*3 of [dnmtigf , and v<?iy 
cunittioidy iin extraonliiiury (levcloptiu-nt of tUit piirU 
coni[>osi»g the tftil. lit the; pn'st^iit fuiridy, the 
gruuiui is sttH llifir previiilin.,' hiitjiiafimi, thouj^li 
many of (hf m freqiuMiUy perch and ruoat oi» trees. 
Their powf r of flight k acrijile, very airong, in some, 
us the gt^niUH Pteroi-les, fxireniply rapid, hut in a 
ft'w fur Ills atnioi^t a^ lilile mttl amniig lUe Pa- 
voidd&n. Some purtiort of these UHt*ful hirds aro 
spread over every tegiou of the world, and in ahnoHt 
all lot'a!iliea. The ^eciioii of the grouse to wlitch 
the itiiiir-fowl of Britniii niul the |Marmigau hfdong, 
occupy the >vihl healhy dititrirtH of tlie teiuperate 
circle, and extend to the inojit barren aud alpine nioun- 
tains, or the extremes of polar cold. The true 
grouse, again, to wliich the European wood grouse 
belongs, occupy the forest anct hushy groundn, anti ex- 
tend uhnost as far. The parirulgeii prefer open coun- 
tries free from wood, and draw near to cullivHtion ; 
but within the iropica there are one or two forms, 
wliieli, like the groui^e, prefer ihn hru'^h and wood, 
where, on the branchea, they are safer from the at- 
tacks of the numerous tribes of reptiles wbit b swarm 
around lliem. The gjuigas, again, or, as iltey have 
been named, ihe Hand grouse, fretjuent ihi' most h^^r- 
ren distrietn in the world, the plains of India and the 
trackleati deserts of Africa and Arabia, far from the 
